Stripper and cleaner for meat tenderizing machines



March 13, 1951 A. JACKSON 2,545,407

STRIPPER AND CLEANER FOR MEAT TENDERIZING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1'7, 1946 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

ALDRICH L. JACKSON March 13, 1951 JACKSON 2,545,407

STRIPPER AND CLEANER FOR MEAT TENDERIZING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

lN-VEN TOR ALDRICH L. JACKSON ATTORNEY March 13, 1951 A. JACKSON STRIPPER AND CLEANER FOR MEAT TENDERIZING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 17, 1946 FIG. 7

INVENTOR ALDRICH L. JACKSON ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES AT-ENT OFF-ICE STRIPPERAND CLEANER'FOR MEAT .TENDERIZING MACHENES Aldrich "L. "Jackson, Minneapolis, Minn assign'or -t0 -Holcaitt Federal Engineering (Eorporation, .;Minneapolis,1Minn.,' a corporation of Minnesota Application" May" 17, 1946. Serial No. 670.554

1 This invention relates to '-a stripper and cleaner "for meattenderizin'g machines which is adapted to strip-the meat from the cutting blades of the tenderizer'and to-simultaneously clean the spaces between the cutting blades.

A feature-residesin forming the'stripper'a'nd cleaner in units which "are formed likecombs which extend between-the bla'desandwhich are hinged so 'asto be'swung away from the blades when it is desired. These stripper and cleaner units may "be made in one form as individual "combs for each'tender'izing roller'orthey may be made in a single unit so 1' that the unit may be swung into operative position.

"It' is also a feature to provide removable stripper and'cleaner units,"eachunit including fingers for stripping the "meat from the cutting blades and stripper fingers adapted'to engage the hubs of the'collars "which space 'thecutting blades apart.

'I-Ieretofore tenderizing' machines of this character were provided with stripper fingers which "strippedthe meatirom the-cutter blades and the stripper'comb witha-separate tool which had to be brought into operationto clean the hubs of the"'spaces" periodically owing to the fact of'the spaces andthe sinews of the meat'would '=alsobe"inc1ined "towrap around the hub of the spacin'gcollars. I

"It' is "a "feature "of "myinventionto' provide the 'stripperand'cleaner' means in a unitso that the 'tenderizing machine "will automatically be cleansed-as the stripper "operates to "strip the meat from the tenderizing cutters.

It is "also a feature to provide strippers for "the' 'hubs' ofthespacers in the I tenderizing "machine which bear against the-hubs under-spring tension and thus keeps the hubs clean-during theoperation of the tenderizer.

A further feature resides in combining the stripper fingers and the stripper members so that the stripperfingers'will extend'from f the stripper members and -wi1l'be fcrmed a part thereof in-cornb-like fingers which are adapted to be positioned between each of "the blades of the tenderi'z-ingmachine.

These 'features together with other details and objects of I my -in'vention' will be 7 more fully and clearly hereinafter setforth:

In-the drawingsforrning part 'of the specifi cation:

' =Fi'gure- 1 illustrates'*a'- vertical section through a portion of a meat tenderizing "machineshowing the'tenderizing rollers within the casing-and sols-ms. (01.;1'7-26) .2 showing my stripper finge'r units in operative position. I

Figur 2 illustratesthe stripper and-cleaner finger units, one of which is held inoperative cleaner unitsare adapted to straddle th hubs between thecuttingdiscsand showing the units removable.

Figure 6 is an outside end-view of the tenderizing unit whichsupports the 'tenderizer rollers and showinga spring for holding the stripper and cleanser unit for each roller'connected'together.

Figure '7 is'a detailed end" view of the opposite end to that shown inFigure 6 of the unit which supports the tenderizing rollers.

Figure 8 isa detail portion ofthe stripper and cleanse'nunit showing the mannerin which the combs are hinged together.

' Figure 9 is-"an'end view of Figure -8 taken on the line 99.

My stripper and cleanser means is adapt cl'to be used with a meat tenderizer machine A which is formed with a tenderizing unit H3 which may be removed from the machine A whenthe cover I l of thecasin'g is elevate'don its hinged point I2.

The casing of the machine 'A'ispartly broken away, however, the lower portion "I3 is partially illustrated and this portion "of the casing includesan inclined wall M on to which the t nderized'meat is deposited when it leaves the tenderizing rollers.

The cover Hofthe casing is formed with'an open'slot I5 having depending sides H5 which are integral with the cover I l "and which act'to guide the meat to the'tenderizing rollers.

The *rneat tenderizing unit It is 'madeup of end walls I! and ifl'shown in Figure Sand which are adapted tosupporta'pair 'of'rollers i9 which are formed by a seriesof thin cutting blades'ifi mounted on 'parallel shafts 2i and the cutter blades are spaced apart by thecollars 22.

'The cutter bladesiflj'may be formed 'withsharp edged'teeth as illustratedin Figure 'landthe shafts 2| are positioned so that the cutter blades 20 intermesh as illustrated, thus when the machine A is in operation and the rollers with the cutter blades 23 are rotated toward each other in the direction of the arrows in Figure 1 the meat may be dropped through the slot i5 Whereupon the cutter blades 29 will engage the same and draw it through the rollers causing the blades to cut the fibers in th meat without crushing it. As the meat passes between the tenderizing rollers, it is carried on through'the machine A to the inclined wall it.

As the meat passes through the machine A it is necessary that it bestripped from the cutting blades 20 and therefore I provide my stripping and cleaning unit to strip the meat from the blades and to keep the hubs of the collars 22 clean of any particles of meat. r

My stripper and cleaner units may be in the form illustrated in Figure 1 wherein a series of fingers 23 are connected together with a comblike form by the back bar 23 which is hinged at 23 as illustrated in Figure l with a different and greater radius than hubs 22, the hinge 25 form.- ing an eccentric mounting for the fingers.

Each comb unit which comprises the series of fingers 23 is held when in operative position by the spring latches 26 positioned on the outer end I8 as illustrated in Figure 2. The spring latches 26 engage the arms 2'! under spring tension to hold the comb fingers 23 in the position illustrated in Figure 1. The end wall It is broken away at the lower portion to illustrate the position of the comb fingers 23 in operating. One

of the units show the comb fingers 23 in dotted I outline and illustrates in full lines the fingers 23 rotated away from the cutter discs 28.

The spring latches 26 may be released to free the arms 21 which are mounted on the ends of the rods which hinge the comb fingers 23 at 25. When the arms 2'5 are released the comb can be swung out as illustrated on the left of Figure 2 which shows the comb fingers 23 in full outline.

The comb fingers -3 are formed with finger stripping ends 23 which extend between each of the cutter discs 2! The inner ends of the stripper finger portions 25 are formed with sharp stripper portions 29 which bear against the hubs of the spacer collars 22 and act to scrape any particles of meat or sinews of meat from the hubs of the collars. The spring latches 28 keep the stripper edges 29 bearing against the collars 22 under spring tension. Thus the comb units with the fingers 23 and the stripping ends 23 together with the stripping edges 23 keep the cutting discs 20 clean of any meat and also automatically clean the hubs of the collars 22 while thetenderizer is in operation.

The stripper and cleaning units may be joined together as illustrated in Figure 4 by the bars 38 which are positioned at the ends or" the tenderizer unit and act to hold the fingers 23 connected together for each pair or" tenderizing rollers formed by the discs 23. In this form of my stripper and cleaner unit the entire unit may be swung out as illustrated in dotted outline away from the cutter discs 2 In operative position the unit shown in Figure 4 is held by the coil spring 31 which hooksover the shaft 32 to hold the pair or" stripping and cleaning units under spring tension with the stripping edges 29 bearing against the hubs of the spacer collars 22.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated a different form of stripper and cleaner unit. In this form I provide a separate unit for each of the tenderizing rollers. These units 33 are pivoted on the shafts 33. The stripper fingers 35 extend from the shafts 34 between each of the cutter discs 20 and are connected together by the back bar portion 36 While the free ends 3T of the fingers project beyond the diameter of the cutting discs 23.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the stripper and cleaner units 33 are formed with separate cleaning fingers 38 which are connected by the back bar 39 which is also hinged to the shaft 34 in the manner illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The stripper fingers 33 are formed with sharp scraping edges 40 which bear against the hubs of the spacer collars 22. In this form of my stripping and cleaning units'each of the units 33 straddle the collars 22 as illustrated in Figure 5 and by means of the lugs 4! the units 33 are connected together by the coil spring 42 illustrated in Figure 6 on one end of the tenderizing unit 10.

I provide slots 33 in the ends ll and i8 into which the lugs it slide to removably hold each of the units 33 from the tenderizing unit It. The slots 43 are formed with shoulder portions 45 so that the lugs M may engage beneath the same to hold the units 33 under the tension of the spring 42 in operative position.

When it is desired to remove the stripper and cleaner units 33, the lugs :24 are released against the tension of the spring 52 so that the lugs 44 may be lifted out of the slots 43 and thus the stripper fingers 31 and the stripping fingers 38 may be removed as a unit from between the cutter discs 20.

It will therefore be apparent that I provide a stripper and cleaning means for meat tenderizing machines where a series of cutting discs are mounted on parallel shafts and the meat to be tenderized is passed between these tenderizing rollers. The strippers automatically strip the meat from the cutting discs and the sharp stripper edges of the stripping fingers bear against the hubs of the spacer collars and keep the same clean or" any particles of meat or sinews, which have a tendency to cling to the hub and wrap around the same were it not for the cleaning action of my spacing fingers during the operation of the tenderizer. My stripper and cleaner operates automatically to keep the tenderizing machine clean at all times. It will be apparent that it is highly essential that a meat tenderizing machine be kept just as clean as possible so as to keep the same sanitary and I have accomplished this by my stripperand cleaner units so that it is not necessaryfor the operator to stop and clean the machine now and then as this is taken care of automatically during the operation of the machine.

I claim:

1. A stripper and cleaner finger for meat tenderizing units including an arcuated blade cleaner portion terminatin in a sharp edge portion adapted to contact the hub of a unit and of a radius greater than that of the hub of the unit maintaining the major extent of said actuated portion spaced from and out of contact with said hub, and a stripping free end portion extending from said hub-contacting sharp edge in the direction of discharge of a meat product to form a stripping guide, and securing means formed on the end of said arcuated blade cleaner portion opposite said sharp edge portion.

2. A stripper and cleaner finger unit for the blades and hubs of a meat tenderizing unit, each stripper and cleaner finger having an arcuated cleaner portion of a different radius greater than that of the hubs of the unit, a sharp edge portion formed on each of said fingers adapted to contact the hubs which support the blades in a limited area on the discharge side thereof to automatically clean the hubs, and a free end stripper portion extending from said sharp edged portion in the direction of discharge of the meat for guiding and stripping the meat from the blades and hubs.

3. A series of stripper fingers for each of a pair of cooperating meat tenderizing units having a series of tenderizing knives supported on hubs, comprising a chisel edge formed on each of said fingers adapted to engage said hubs on the discharge side thereof to scrape the same, means for mounting said series of stripper fingers eccentrically with respect to said hubs so as to maintain a major portion of said fingers spaced from and out of contact with said hubs, and a free end body portion extending from each of said chisel edges in the direction of discharge of a food product therethrough adapted to clean the sides of said blades and guide the food product from said hubs and blades.

ALDRICH L. JACKSON.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

